Seattle Mariners Probable Pitchers & Starting Lineup vs. Milwaukee Brewers, April 18

Well, the opener to the series wasn't great, but I think that was kind of expected. Corbin Burnes is one of the 5 best pitchers in baseball, and he controlled the first 5+ innings against the Mariners. The M's hand a couple of opportunities, but weren't able to capitalize. Whether it was a hard grounder that led to an easy double play, or a brilliant move by Burnes to pick off Suarez on a full count with two outs, the Mariners couldn't muster enough offense against the Brewers.

Flexen wasn't too bad, but struggled in the second inning. Saving the pen was the bigger deal here, as plenty of fans were worried after that 3-spot he gave up that we were going to see a repeat of his last outing of 2.2 IP. Let's get to the second game of the series

Probable Starting Pitchers

Things SHOULD be easier for the Mariners in game two as they go up against Colin Rea. The big righty has bounced around in his career, throwing 159 IP in Japan, 190.2 IP in AAA, and 25.2 IP in the majors over the last 4+ seasons. He doesn't throw hard and doesn't strike out a ton of hitters, but looked good in the opener against the Padres, allowing just one run on 5.2 IP. He's got 6 pitches (according to baseball savant) but focuses on his Sinker, 4-seamer, and cutter, accounting for 62 of his 83 pitches.

Meanwhile, Walter takes the mound for the Mariners. He's coming off a very impressive outing in Chicago, and looking to go 6 innings or more for the third time this season. This will be his first time facing the Brewers, so success could be on his side tonight as the Brewers dwell on facing Logan Gilbert for the first time.

Mariners Starting Lineup

Jose Cabalerro gets the nod at shortstop tonight and gives Crawford the night off.

I think we all know that we need more production from the bottom of the lineup, similar to what we saw in the finale against the Rockies. Whether it is walks or singles, they need to produce in order for the Mariners to succeed. Of note, Geno is looking to get back on track as he is hitting just .172 over the last 7 games. The same can be said for Julio, who is just 4-25 over the last 6 games.

One thing I can almost guarantee is a Ty France hit tonight. It's rare to see a healthy Ty France go three straight games without a hit, so look for him to get off the schneid.

The Mariners might need to look for another bat

Whether it's holding off until Trammell comes back in a couple weeks and giving him a chance, or hoping that Dylan Moore can solve the woes from the bottom of the order, the Mariners need some kind of spark down there. Another 0fer occurred against the Brewers on Monday night, as the bottom three in the order went 0-8 with a walk and a run, both coming from JP Crawford.

I'm still a believer in Kolten Wong. It's Cooper Hummel that worries me. Hummel hasn't done anything at the MLB level, whereas Wong has a good track record of success. It might be time for the Mariners to give someone else a look (Cade Marlowe, anybody?), as Hummel has been a black hole of despair on offense.

How do I watch and listen to the Seattle Mariners game?

You can catch all the Mariners games on Root Sports or Root Sports Plus, while listening to them on ESPN 710. They're also available on the MLB.TV app for those that are subscribed, as well as FuboTV. However you can manage, make sure to tune in and see if the Mariners can split the series heading into the finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.